The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-17
A HOUSE FULL OF sPooKs.
The Old Ryerson Mansion in Brooklyn
and it's Uncanny Story.

The Old Ryerson Mansion in Brooklyn
and it's Uncarny Story.
From the Ne,e York Herald.
Lots of people arc obliged to follow the
senseless custom of moving in the merry
month of May.
SpOoks are not excepted.
There is an old Dutch farmhouse over in
Brooklyn which was built more than $50
years ago. In the course of checkered Ca
reer of a century and half it has aocumu-
lated quite a number of ghosts, white la
dies wraiths, hanshees, eidolons, bogies
and whatnot.
And now the spooks have all got to 60
They received notice to quit on May l.
They didn't move then, but they got up and
came with crowbars and hammers and pick
axes and began the demolition Of the old
house,
THE OLD COTTAGE.
The old Ryerson cottage is on Adelphi
street, between Park and Flushing avenues.
1t was built about the year 1870, and it is
like other old Dutch farmhouses which we
may occasionally see in Flathush and in
some of the old Long Island villages. But
they are fast disappearing. Like the old
Indians, they are being improved Off the
face of the earth.
The Ryerson house was originally one
story high, with a Dig attic and long
slOping roof, ending at the front and back
in wide piazza extending the full width OF
the building. The front and sides of the
house-which is big and spreads over deal
of ground with its ten roons--are covered
with heavy, fiat pine shingles, two feet long,
half an inch thick, and still sturdy and
strong, Notwithstanding their great age.
The bricks Of the chimney came over from
Holland, and are much smaller than the
modern kind. They are as hard as iron,
and the mortar in which they were laid
turns the steel point Of pickax TO break it.
The great beams of the floor and roof and
the studding of the walls are made from
heavy timber, all hewp by hand from trees
feiled in the virgin forests Of the New
World. The Dutchmen who cut them prob
ably did so with their eyes wide open for
redskins and with their arquebuses ready to
bang away at any skulking Indians who
might come creeping through the woods
around the settlement.
The old house was not built by Budden-
sick, il he was a Dutchman. There is
sturdy honesty about all the workmanship
that shows tho house was put up to stay
Moreover, the thickness of the walls would
indicate that its owner expected to make his
house his castle in more senses than one,
For there were hostile Indians in those days
and the isolated farmhouse might have to be
suddenly transformed into fortress to de-
fend the settler from massacre.
SOMETHING OF ITS HISTORY.
The old Ryerson cottage has been fanail-
lar landmark in Brooklyn for very many
years. The house has queer history, and
many thrilling stories are told as to the
scenes it has passed through. When it was
built by James Ryerson that family was
among the wealthiest of the early Dutch
settlers of Long Island. They owned many
acres of land, and their possessions were
touched on one side by the sea and on the
other by the old Flushing road They
owned tract mile wide. The road passed
in front Of the farmhouse, which stood on a
hill sloping gently on the other side toward
the river. There was a lovely view from
the house. 1t was surrounded by a flower
garden with hollyhocks and tulips and there
was q famous well of sweet and cool water
at the side of the house.
The mansion was the residence of several
generations of Ryersons, and compare
lively early in its history was the scene of
the suicide Of farm hand, who died for the
love of a pretty milkmaid His ghost il
probably the death of the little company of
spirits which have since gathered about the
place.
When the growing city of Brooklyn
reached this neighborhood the Ryersons
abandoned the house as residence. Then
began its many vicissitudes of fortune.
Even then it was known as haunted
place, the boss ghost being a choleric, purse.
proud old Dutchman, who had dropped dead
of apoplexv in fit of rage while "ctlssing'
a son who had married beneath" him, the
girl being poor, but honest.
Ir,,, -, Sr ,-rrp~
About sixty years ago the place fell into
the hands of Scotchman, who turned il
into q tavern and called it the Tam o
Shanter.n 1t deserved its uncanny name
for it became the resort of gamblers and the
widest blades of the day. Two or three
drunken murders added to the ghosts who
tenanted the old house. Then an English
man succeeded TO the property. He alsC
kept it us sporting resort. Many of it
patrons were New Workers, who crossed the
East river i'll rowboats.
The reputation of the old house went from
had to worse, and at length became known
as very tough resort. An freshman NAMED
O'Reilly ran it about forty years ago as
low tavern. His liquor bred diSsensior
among his patrons, and they say that two
murders occurred in the midnight brawls Of
his regime,
Later on an old miser lived there. H,
was found dead, hanging TO beam IN TIT
attic one morning, and the neighbors sale
he had been frightened into suicide by tn,
ghosts.
After that the bad name of the old man
sion as haunted house kept people away
from it. 1t was untenanted and deserted fol-
q long time.
ITS LAST OWNER.
In 1867 the house--then fast falling int
picturesque decay-was purchased by Henry
Mooney He said yesterday as he stood hall
sadly watching the worlmen tear down hi:
! old home:
when first came here to live, twenty
years ago, the neighbors all warned me
against the gloomy old place and prophesiec
that ! wouldn't stay single night in the
house. They said the ghosts Of murdered
men were as thick as sand. Maybe they
were; but | lived there several years anc
was never troubled by them. Perhaps il
was because | always carried pistol loaded
with silver Cd. That, you know, will xii
any ghost.
"Then, again, never cut down the rope
the old nliser hung himself with. l left il
hanging from the beam. and it was there to
day till one of the workmen here cut il
down. And never went digging or pryinp
around for the gold and treasure they SAID
was concealed around the house. | didnt
interfere with the ghosts and they never
| bothered me-"
QUEER FINDS.
The iconoclasts who are tearing down thf